Radio 3 Llangollen TX 91.1 is broadcasting an announcement today that it is switching to BBC Radio Wales from 24th October and you need to retune if you wish to carry on listening to BBC Radio 3.

I am getting the PI Code is CF3F.

RDS now reads "__BBC___" at the moment.

The announcement is giving retune information suggesting 90.5 for Shropshire and Staffordshire and 91.5 for Merseyside, Cheshire and Flintshire and North Wales coast.

I understand that the BBC want to extend the coverage of Radio Wales on FM as for historic reasons Radio Wales has very few FM transmitters. I am not sure if any other welsh Radio 3 Tx's are carrying the announcement as the band is flat here today so I can only hear LLangollen.

I wonder if they will be switching all welsh transmitters that carry Radio 3, but DO NOT carry Radio Wales, I think that is 31 with all the little relays.

Anyway that is good news for me as I listen to Radio Wales online on Sunday nights to Frank Hennessy and now will be able to hear it with a normal radio. I think radio Wales has better music output than BBC Local radio at the weekends and the Sunday night Celtic Heartbeat show is one of the best music shows on the radio playing folk, roots and acoustic music from the Celtic countries.

i made an IQ recording beaming west in vertical
and looped the audio gap at the end of the message then tuned the file in usb to hear any weak relays carrying the same message, very disappointing results
only Long Mountain 91.8, llandinam 92.3 & 90.6 Penmaen Rhos - that last one is so weak i'm not sure if i'm imagining it

nothing on 91.3 & 91.6 which should each have 2 Welsh relays under normal flat condx

If Wales doesn't massively object and make a fuss , I think it will be

It would be a shame if this happens everywhere in my opinion as it will make FM even blander.

I rarely listen in daytime (only Saturday afternoon)
but nighttime radio 3 is the only music radio I listen to consistently, I've been recording every episode of late junction so I can go back and get info on my favourite tracks

According to the BBC, this switch-over will have an impact on at least 32 (!) low power or mid power relay stations that carry Radio3 until today.
I do not quite get it: Why are they doing this now, in 2018 while DAB digital radio has a good coverage on the market? It would be more logical they did it 10 years ago but the choice of time and date is rather surprising. Guess this will spread towards Scotland as well sooner or later.

"BBC Radio Wales broadcasts high quality, original, challenging and innovative programmes for a Welsh audience, championing Welsh culture, music and arts."
So, as I understand, Radio 3, the original cultural station, does not?? Just because it is being produced in LDN or what !?

Why do people have to tune in Radio Wales, what about Radio Cymru and Radio Cymru 2 ?? Do Welsh people in fact need 3 (!!!) regional public radios? Time shifting Radio Cymru and Radio Wales on ONE channel at daytime throughout FM, while switching-off all other FM and running all three of them pure digitally would be better advertising to make DAB digital radio and Satellite TV more popular.

"BBC Radio Wales broadcasts high quality, original, challenging and innovative programmes for a Welsh audience, championing Welsh culture, music and arts."
So, as I understand, Radio 3, the original cultural station, does not?? Just because it is being produced in LDN or what !?

audience research indicates Radio 3 has lowest listener figures so it was the obvious one for the accountants to switch off, however you could make the case (as i would) that it is the BBC's duty to provide services that the Commercial market would never provide and most of Radio 3 fits that description

Obviously ofcoms failiure to protect the band means BBC Radio Wales MW signal is no longer useable in urban & suburban areas.
why was the decision made back in 1968 to put it on Medium Wave instead of having it on FM like Radio Cymru?
back then there was plenty of space on FM

i can only assume the UK government were swimming against the tide and trying desperately to keep the police & Gasboard allocations on Band II
leaving only 88.1-97.6 for broadcasting